435th Medical Collecting Company - Separate

31/10/2021

Private Merle Wralstad was from Velva, ND. He joined Company F, 65th Medical Regiment on October 6,1942 after his basic training with the Medical Replacement Training Center at Camp Robinson, Arkansas. He was initially a assigned as a litter bearer, but later rise to the rank of Sergeant as a surgical technician. He was one of the litter bearers awarded the Bronze Star for his actions treating and evacuating soldiers during the river-cossing battle near Dornot, France.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/19263980/merle-edward-wralstad

30/10/2021

October 30 - As shown on today's morning report from 1943, Company F of the 65th Medical Regiment conducted "Usual garrison duties" and PFC Crabtree returned to duty from being sick. PFC Crabtree was ill when the unit had disembarked at Liverpool, Great Britain, so he was left at the Port Dispensary. He had recovered and was able to rejoin his unit in Northern Ireland.

A morning report was completed and filed every day. It contained important information as to the location of the unit (Poyntzpass Armagh County), the unit strength (5 officers & 101 enlisted), the Record of Events, and number of meals fed. The report was typed up by the company clerk/typist (PFC Charles Peterson) and was verified and signed by the commanding officer, Captain Leslie M. Baker.

27/10/2021

October 27 - Captain Leslie M. Baker was the Commanding Officer of Company F, 65th Medical Regiment. He was the CO from at least October 1942 until March 1944 when the unit was redesignated the 435th Medical Collecting Company. Captain Baker was drafted in 1941 and left the army as a Lieutenant Colonel in 1946.

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/20871125/leslie-mayer-baker

https://www.facebook.com/256536167728393/posts/beloved-hometown-doctor-leslie-mayer-baker-and-twin-brother-lester-were-born-sat/2189957567719567/

Leslie was the son of Gatch Leron and Mayme Mayer Baker. He was a physician who lived at 211 Hillview in Aurora, Indiana. Dr. Baker died at his residence he was married at the time of his death, Leslie M. Baker, 84, Aurora, died Thursday, July 8, 1999. He was born July 11, 1914, in Wilmington. He ma...

26/10/2021

October 26 - According to the oral history of the 65th provided by the Adjutant, Captain Coltrane (and posted previously in the October 22 post), on this date in 1943, the 65th Medical Regiment was organized into two identical battalions. Each battalion contained three medical collecting companies and one clearing company. First battalion contained companies A thru D and Second Battalion contained companies E thru H.

The attached organizational charts show how the Regiment would have been formed prior to that reorganization that occurred in June, 1942.

25/10/2021

October 25 - On this day in 1943, F Company of the 65th Medical Regiment continued settling in to their new, somewhat spartan accommodations. PFC Charles "Pete" Peterson described them as:

"The camp had quonset barracks with (beds made of) wooden planks and straw mattress on six inch sawhorses. We all had one Army wool blanket."

The attached photo shows the interior of a Nissan hut in Belfast Ireland from a page called "The Second World War in Northern Ireland". You can see the sawhorses that Pete was referring to.

https://www.facebook.com/556745367857030/posts/1500895193442038/

24/10/2021

October 24 - Like many soldiers overseas for the first time, PFC Clair Simpson was a prolific letter writer. He wrote home to his wife Shirley, as often as he could.

During World War 2, overseas soldiers could write home using airmail or v-mail. Vmail was a process developed for servicemen and women during WW2. The vmail was an 7" by 9" form that the soldier filled out. It was then photographed and reduced to negatives. Those negatives were then transported to the United States. Once they arrived in the US, the negatives were then printed into small 4" by 5" photos which were then placed into an envelope and delivered via US Postal Service to the addressee.

PFC Simpson wrote the attached vmail on this date in 1943:

My Dearest Shirley:
I am in Northern Ireland, be sure & notice my change of address. Did you send my watch yet? If you can get any gum send me a carton, I can always use some candy too if you can get it. Did I tell you that they had swans here? They swim around in the lakes & are really pretty. They sure have small cars here. We have been around English Tommys & they sure roll their words out. They seem quite friendly. I was in England & I was in Scotland. When are you going home? We are getting passes now. I might go in & look one of the towns over. Everything here is just like I thought it was. Very pretty country though. The English money isn’t going to be hard to learn. What do you hear from your father? We went to town last night it was an American show. I guess all of their shows are American. It was "Wings for an Angel". I had seen it before. They wore their hats & smoke during shows here. Take good care of yourself Shirley & don’t forget my love for you.
Love
Clair

23/10/2021

October 23 - During their stay at Acton, the men stayed in "nissen huts". Nissen huts look very similar to quonset huts in that they are half circles with the outside is constructed of corrugated metal.

This article is from the newsletter "Before We Forget..." published by the Poyntzpass and District Local Historical Society. http://www.poyntzpass.co.uk/

22/10/2021

October 22 - The attached report is the "official" description of the 65th Medical Regiment's travels during October, 1943. The Unit arrived At Acton House, Poyntzpass, County Armagh today in 1943.

PFC Clair Simpson wrote his first letter home to from Europe to his wife, Shirley Irene Simpson. He wrote:

Here I am somewhere in the British Isles. I can't tell you just where. It sure took a long time for us to get settled...

It sure is some pretty country. Everything is green yet. I will be able to tell you more about things later. I was only seasick one day.

21/10/2021

October 21 - On this day in 1943, PFC Clair Simpson, PFC Charles "Pete" Peterson, PFC Merle Wralstad, PFC Denny Grizzle and all the other soldiers of F Company, 65th Medical Regiment (later the 435th Medical Collecting Company) were traveling. By now they were in Northern Ireland moving from Belfast to their first "duty station" overseas - Acton House, Poyntzpass, County Armaugh. https://www.mccollumconservation.com/projects/acton-house/

This is a picture of the Distinctive Unit Insignia (DUI) for the 65th Medical Regiment from the uniform of PFC Simpson. The Latin "Da Dextram Misero" translates as "Give Aid to the Unfortunate".

20/10/2021

October 20 - On this day in 1943, the 65th Medical Regiment was traveling. Once they disembarked the USAT Monterey at Liverpool, they took a train north to a port in Scotland. From there, they took a ferry over to Belfast, Northern Ireland.

PFC Charles W. Peterson described the trip: "We landed in Liverpool, then boarded a train for S. Scotland. There we got the treat from the Brits - cold tea and biscuit. Gee, one thought, if that is our future meals, we are in trouble. Course we had our own rations and cooks. We boarded a ferry for a two and a half hour ride to Belfast, Ireland."

Cairnryan on Loch Ryan Cairnryan , Scotland, is a tiny little port town in Dumphries & Galloway on the eastern shore of Loch Ryan , an ...

19/10/2021

Oct 19 - On this date in 1943, the USAT Monterey docked at Liverpool at 3:05pm. The troops (including the soldiers of the 435th) began disembarking at 5:15pm. The disembarkation of the 6700 troops on the Monterey was done in increments, as there was no place in the immediate vicinity for the troops to stay. It would take two days before the disembarkation was completed.

18/10/2021

Oct 18 - On this date in 1943, the USAT Monterey entered the North Channel between Ireland and Scotland by way of the Irish Sea. Ireland was "lush with its grassy rolling hills" and the Isle of Mann was visible on the port side. The ship (along with the rest of the flotilla) originally dropped anchor "just out of site of the Liverpool Mersey River Princess Parade Dock". The Monterey was allowed to go up the Mersey River and then anchored just off Liverpool awaiting debarkation orders..